Réunion Bulbul
Encyclopedia
The Réunion Bulbul also known as Olivaceous Bulbul, is a passerine
endemic to Réunion
. Formerly, the Mauritius Bulbul
was included here as subspecies
olivaceus, but nowadays H. borbonicus is considered monotypic
.
(H. olivaceus) but with 22 cm it is slightly smaller. It is ashy gray with a blackish crest. The iris is conspicuously white. Bill and feet have an orange hue.
s, to the valleys and feeds on the ripe guava
s (Psidium). Nectar, insects and small lizards enrich its range of food. The female lays two eggs in a cup-shaped nest during the southern summer.
It is not a common bird anymore, mainly due to the competition by the introduced Red-whiskered Bulbul
(Pycnonotus jocosus) and poaching
. In the earlier days of the settlement of Réunion it was hunted for food on a large scale, and was considered as tasty as the Ortolan Bunting
(Emberiza hortulana). As late as the 1970s it was hunted excessively. It is also kept as pet. But unlike the Mauritius Bulbul
(H. olivaceus) its stocks have never dwindled to critical levels, and it is still regarded a Species of Least Concern
by the IUCN.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
endemic to Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
. Formerly, the Mauritius Bulbul
Mauritius Bulbul
The Mauritius Bulbul , also known as Mauritius Black Bulbul, is a songbird endemic to Mauritius. Formerly, it was included in H. borbonicus as subspecies olivaceus....
was included here as subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
olivaceus, but nowadays H. borbonicus is considered monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
.
Description
It looks similar to the Mauritius BulbulMauritius Bulbul
The Mauritius Bulbul , also known as Mauritius Black Bulbul, is a songbird endemic to Mauritius. Formerly, it was included in H. borbonicus as subspecies olivaceus....
(H. olivaceus) but with 22 cm it is slightly smaller. It is ashy gray with a blackish crest. The iris is conspicuously white. Bill and feet have an orange hue.
Ecology and status
Its diet is primarily frugivorous. Especially in February and March it comes from higher elevations, where it inhabits humid secondary forestSecondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s, to the valleys and feeds on the ripe guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
s (Psidium). Nectar, insects and small lizards enrich its range of food. The female lays two eggs in a cup-shaped nest during the southern summer.
It is not a common bird anymore, mainly due to the competition by the introduced Red-whiskered Bulbul
Red-whiskered Bulbul
The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a passerine bird found in Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves...
(Pycnonotus jocosus) and poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
. In the earlier days of the settlement of Réunion it was hunted for food on a large scale, and was considered as tasty as the Ortolan Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
The Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana, is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae...
(Emberiza hortulana). As late as the 1970s it was hunted excessively. It is also kept as pet. But unlike the Mauritius Bulbul
Mauritius Bulbul
The Mauritius Bulbul , also known as Mauritius Black Bulbul, is a songbird endemic to Mauritius. Formerly, it was included in H. borbonicus as subspecies olivaceus....
(H. olivaceus) its stocks have never dwindled to critical levels, and it is still regarded a Species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
by the IUCN.